|
Promotion_Is_The_Key_To_Success
| Promotion Is The Key To Success
Initially the most important factor in attracting people to your
site is its overall look and quality. We have changed our site
several times since it was launched, each time updating and
improving its content. The site must certainly not be static, it
must be seen to be ever changing. It should be simple and
clearly laid out and easy to navigate. Visitors don't want
something that will take them too much time to get through as
invariably they don't have that time! Promotion is the key to
success and we are only just starting to learn what actually
works and what doesn't. Email for instance is one that just
won't reap rewards. There's no point in emailing anyone and
everyone who you might think is interested. You may get one or
two positive responses from 300 emails. However the rest may
never read or simply delete what you send. One way of emailing
that we have found to be a success is to reply to people's
questions, problems and thoughts within a newsgroup. There will
be several, if not, many newsgroups that will match your target
audience. You have to remember that newsgroups have rules and
regulations, and that you can't just post blatant advertising.
You may be found to be in breach of these rules and banned!
E-mails must be targeted to reach your audience and not sent out
randomly. People get upset if you send too much unsolicited junk
mail! Another successful way of promoting your site via email is
to use a signature file. This is a small and effective tool. It
just involves leaving your name, URL, email address, telephone
and fax numbers at the bottom of every email you send out. It is
much easier for people to just click onto a URL than having to
type it in, even if they have just a quick look. Flooding people
with your site address is another must for companies promoting
their web site. Put it anywhere and everywhere you think, on
everything that is sent out. There are lots of promotional items
that can be sent out with your URL on and these can be purchased
relatively cheaply. Sending promotional items out by post such
as newsletters or leaflets can, like email, be very hit and
miss. It is virtually impossible to know the person you are
mailing to, what their circumstances are, whether they are even
on the net or not and if they really will be interested in what
you are sending to them. Again it is better to target specific
individuals and groups. For those that are trying to find what
may be on your site, but don't know your URL, search engines are
by far the best way of getting 'hits'. Getting your site
positioned high up on a search engine is a highly difficult and
complicated matter, but if you get it right it can reap
substantial rewards! There are numerous search engines, such as
Yahoo! and Excite, and registering with most is free. There are
sites that will submit your URL to several search engines, but
to be effective, your site needs to be submitted regularly.
E-commerce is now a major commercial tool used by businesses
world- wide. If you have something to sell, sell it on the
internet! It is estimated that 10,000 new users are logging onto
'the net' every week and any company worth it's salt will now
have a site and a facility for people to buy it's products
on-line. The process is simple and quick for customers, just a
few clicks of a button is all it takes. And that simplicity
means they are more likely to come back again and again! Keeping
in touch with colleagues and friends, wherever they are, has
never been easier. E-mail can be accessed anywhere in the world
as long as you have a PC and a modem. The facility can be used
to send promotional information, special offers or just a simple
'hello' to customers around the world. By maintaining regular
contact, customers feel wanted, even when they're not
necessarily buying your products! And it helps in building up a
personal relationship. I hope this helps in your future
marketing decisions.
About the author:
David Bell is Manager, Online Marketing, at
http://www.wspromotion.com/ , a leading Search Engine
Optimization services firm and Advertising Agency.
|
|
| |
| |
